


you came to me in waves

by kaise



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Angst, Coming Out, Coming of Age, First Dates, Kaihun - Freeform, M/M, Modern Setting Retelling of Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, References to Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Slow Romance, Smut, sekai - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:47:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27835519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaise/pseuds/kaise
Summary: Sehun finds his life rather dull despite who he is. So when he goes out of his way to experience what life has to offer, he doesn't quite expect that excitement to come from a person.
Relationships: Kim Jongin | Kai/Oh Sehun
Comments: 4
Kudos: 13





	you came to me in waves

**Author's Note:**

> hello! it's been a long time coming for me to return and i thought, what better time to come back than in celebration of jongin's solo debut? so here goes a new fic that took longer than i expected (along with some procrastinations here and there).  
> i'll add more notes and updates at the end but for now, enjoy!~

You would think that being the son of a god would amount to a lifetime of adventures, but the reality is, that’s not the case for Sehun. Being one of the sons of Poseidon with the ultimate privilege of living with the sea-god himself, Sehun finds his life growing stagnant as days go by. 

Sehun’s daily schedule consists of either training on how to best wield and master his trident or learn the complexity of how the world functions. They always emphasize the importance of the latter since they don't tolerate any recklessness. All of that is sufficiently enough from his father.

It's a lie to say that his activity doesn't interest him in the least but doing the same thing every day can start to feel like they're chores, and Sehun is reaching that point in his life. Sometimes it almost feels like the only time he can exhale is whenever he’s away from the castle or visiting his favorite baby whale that he named Winny. 

“There you are,” a soft voice calls out to Sehun, breaking the silence around him. “You went quite a distance away from the castle.”

Sehun smiles, not glancing at the person behind the voice. He leans his back closer to Winny’s side, earning a whistle from the baby whale.

“I started getting headaches, and that's usually my cue to destress.”

“And you’re destressing fine alone?”

“What’s wrong with being alone, Junmyeon?” 

Junmyeon smiles, swimming closer to Sehun. “You know I didn’t mean it that way. You’re alone most of the time. Don’t you want company once in a while?”

“Maybe, but I don’t feel that attached to anyone. Not even with nymphs,” Sehun blurts honestly before realizing too late that it must’ve come off rude. He smiles sheepishly. “Of course, except you and one of my siblings, but that’s it.”

A moment of silence passes between them before Junmyeon sighs, stopping in front of Sehun. Not too close, but enough to have a personal conversation.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Sehun defensively snaps back, a little too fast. “Talk about what?”

“It’s okay to want both. To be fine alone and still want company, especially with someone you have a deep connection with.”

Sehun’s eyes flutter shut as he trails off into a softer voice, “Easier said than done.”

It’s not that Sehun hasn’t tried dipping his toes into a romantic relationship. He's tried multiple times, but he quickly realizes that the more he tries, the more it becomes harder for him to form a genuine connection. 

No one can quite get as close as he wants them to be. Sehun doesn’t know if it’s the other person’s part in keeping their distance or if he's the one doing it.

Sehun knows he wants to feel that deep connection that everyone can't seem to stop raving, and he won't settle for the bare minimum. He wants everything, including his feelings and all the mess that comes with it, whether it will bring him down or lift him high.

"What really brings you here, Junmyeon?”

A little flustered from his directness, Junmyeon stammers when answering, “Your father. He wants to see you and talk about fieldwork.”

Sehun sighs at the word “fieldwork,” knowing full well this means he's going inland and assimilates with humans to better learn about current developments in their civilization. 

But what Sehun dreads is having to talk with his father.

He doesn’t hate his father, but love is too grand to describe his emotions for him. Sehun stands in that gray area, and despite knowing how fucked up that sounds, he would always remind himself that they're gods.

|

|

|

"How are you feeling, son?"

Sehun blinks, only to realize that he hasn’t greeted or even as much as glanced at his father once he enters his throne room. Letting out a sigh, Sehun glances at his father and tries to get a read of what he’s feeling. There’s a calmness around him, and his furrowed eyebrows aren’t present, which is a good sign.

"Honestly, I’ve been feeling quite empty lately. As if I'm just letting the flow of everything around me decide what to do next. I know my daily routine guides me to serve my greater purpose, but I can’t deny that sometimes I yearn to experience having a different purpose.”

Poseidon chuckles, letting his trident stand by his throne before he swims closer to Sehun. Only until he can feel his presence that Sehun raises his head and meets his father’s fierce blue eyes.

“This is the first time I’ve heard you so openly expressing your dilemma, and I feel rather proud as a father.”

“Well, from what I can tell, you were being open. Also, a little bit of me hopes that you would enlighten me.”

“You read me right,” Poseidon’s lips quirk a small smile. “Though I do wish that you don't feel that way. Yes, we do have a set of rhythms in place here to fulfill our responsibilities, but that shouldn't stop you from experiencing things unrelated to your task. There is so much abundance out there."

"Are you just saying that, or are you truly letting me do something beyond my purpose?"

"I never once said you couldn't do any of that. We live a great long time, Sehun. It would be dull not to try something outside of your duties."

Sehun hums, deep in thought. His father shakes his head, clearly finding Sehun’s current conflict amusing. In comparison to Poseidon, Sehun still has so many to learn, and many more years to live. 

But Poseidon finds, where Sehun lacks in experience, he makes it up with his endless curiosity and dreams. He doesn’t let his purpose of existing define his personality, let alone stop him from discovering the extent of his capabilities.

“Come with me,” Poseidon motions him. 

He swims ahead, taking his trident along the way with Sehun trailing behind quietly. Through the different hallways they’re passing through in the castle, Sehun figures out where his father is headed. The rumbling whinnies from their hippocampi audible from a distance.

“Where are we going this time?”

“We’re headed West,” Poseidon answers calmly.

While his father does a final check on their chariot, Sehun swiftly approaches the hippocampi, hand reaching out to pet his favorite hippocampus, Peony. The pale pink-colored hippocampus greets him back happily, snuggling closer to Sehun. At Poseidon's signal, once Sehun steps foot on the chariot, all the hippocampi start galloping, eventually gaining speed as they swim away from the castle.

It doesn’t take long for them to get to shore by the speed they're going as the seawater around them gets shallower, the ground closing in on them.

“I’m sure Junmyeon told you that you’re doing another fieldwork,” Poseidon turns his head to Sehun. “And now that you told me you wanted an abundance of experience, I feel reassured that this particular one will be good.”

“What made you come to the conclusion that fieldwork will do me good?”

“I know how flawed human beings are. Trust me, I’ve seen them at their worst,” Sehun's lips form into a thin line. Poseidon sighs at the lack of response before he continues. “But I learned a long time ago that what we can't do as divine beings, humans can all the time simply because their flaws let them make mistakes. So that abundance of experience you're looking for can be earned by being among them. You’ll find yourself learning a thing or two from them if you let yourself.”

“What if there’s nothing good?” Sehun challenges back, despite his guts telling him otherwise.

“Then that will also be a learning lesson for you. Just because something good didn’t come out of this, it doesn’t mean it was completely useless,” Poseidon laughs as he waves his trident. 

At the motion, little currents begin stirring around it. As Poseidon's trident glows, the swirls of water still to reveal a trident behind. 

Unlike his father’s gold plated trident, the newly revealed trident is silver. Sensing the hesitation from his son, Poseidon gives an encouraging nod, letting the trident slip into Sehun's grasp. There's a pleasant grip to his trident's staff, the weight resting comfortably in his hand as if it was meant to be his.

"I know that it’s not time for you to have your trident yet, but something tells me that this fieldwork will take longer than your usual ones. Take the trident with you just in case anything happens."

“You do know that carrying a huge fork around with me isn’t exactly discreet.”

Poseidon bursts into laughter so loud that Sehun can feel a low rumble around him. Even Sehun himself can’t help but smile at himself for making his father laugh at such a lame dad joke.

“Once you’re inland, the trident will turn into a pendant necklace. Does that resolve your concern?”

“Yes, but where will I be staying?”

“I have a place in the town nearby. Junmyeon will keep you company and the house. He's currently on standby at a boat floating nearby.”

Before Sehun realizes it, they come to a complete stop. He can hear the rumbling noise of a boat engine getting nearer to them until it stops just right above them. Sehun smiles in response before swimming away and closer to land. He spares a last glance at his dad--and his sweet Peony--, earning a wave from Poseidon before he leaves.

Swimming up, the thought of meeting air is amiss once he breaks through the surface of the water. Only when Sehun can feel the intense bubbling on his chest, that he regrets coming up to the surface too quickly. Water starts spitting out from his nose and mouth. 

He tries to look for Junmyeon, but he finds the task hard with the sun shining down brightly, his body only starting to adjust breathing air. 

“You need help there, Sehun?”

He recognizes Junmyeon’s voice instantly, his hand immediately reaching out in a silent plea. Once he has a firm grip on Junmyeon’s hand, Junmyeon pulls him up to the boat effortlessly. Despite still coughing up water, his vision is slowly registering the landscape around him. The town his father was talking about can be seen a far distance away from where their boat is.

“We're staying at a fishing village this time. We have a high risk of being seen by other fishermen, so pardon me for having to meet you this far away,” Junmyeon answers, clearly noticing where Sehun is looking. 

It’s been a while since Sehun has been inland, and he doesn’t remember it being _this_ cold. Despite the cold air, he notices unusual wetness clinging to him before he realizes his attire. They're only a shirt and shorts, but Sehun is pleasantly surprised that he didn't resurface butt naked. His father must've prearranged clothing. 

Junmyeon disappears by a door only to come out a few minutes later with a towel, thick puffer jacket, and a mug of some hot beverage. Judging from the steam and the puffer jacket, he must’ve come up during the colder time of the year. 

Sehun sighs as the mug he takes in his hand warm him. He sips the beverage lightly and finds himself satisfied to taste hot chocolate.

“Tell me, Junmyeon, what season are we in?”

“It’s fall, but since we’re right by the sea, the wind around here tends to be cold and harsh.”

“Why, thank you, father,” Sehun speaks sarcastically into the air, before quickly adding, "And Zeus."

Earning a small chuckle from Junmyeon, Sehun spares a glance at the towel and jacket in Junmyeon's hand, forgetting to thank his generosity.

“Hey, thank you for preparing those.”

“Don’t mention it. I knew there wasn't enough planning for this fieldwork. Hurry, get warm quicker before I get us back to land.”

Taking the mug away, Junmyeon hands the towel and jacket to Sehun before leaving to attend the steering wheel. In the middle of drying himself, a low rumble hums as Junmyeon ignites the engine. After letting it run for a few minutes, they begin moving, sailing back inland.

Barefooted with no shoes around, the vibration underneath him is palpable, oddly calming Sehun's frayed senses. Sehun hastily shakes the remaining water and takes quick strides to stand next to Junmyeon.

“Can you tell me more about the town we’re headed to?”

“So the fishing town has a friendly community. Lots of boats docked by the port and markets getting a fresh inventory of seafood every day. Your father thinks you’ll like it, having the best of both worlds.”

“That sounds nice,” Sehun pauses as his arm momentarily struggles to slip into the sleeve before he zips up his jacket. He continues, “What am I supposed to do for this fieldwork?”

“Observe,” Sehun looks at Junmyeon incredulously, only receiving a shrug as his response. “It’s quite literally an observation. You can do whatever you want except for employment.”

“Now, why is employment an exception?”

“Unless you’re volunteering, you need government-issued documents to be employed. Neither of us possesses that, so according to law, we're here illegally.”

“There’s nothing illegal about us,” Sehun responds in confusion, suddenly questioning why he takes a mild offense to that.

“Exactly. Also, why would you preoccupy yourself with mortals’ tasks anyways when you already have a lot back in the palace?”

Sehun nods, and despite his calm composure, he secretly agrees with Junmyeon’s sentiment so much. Just the mere idea of taking time off from his divine tasks gives him sheer delight, but somehow, it awfully sounds surreal. 

And Sehun asks himself, _why am I not jumping on the opportunity to do nothing?_

“I have no specific tasks, correct?”

His disbelief evident in his voice, leading Junmyeon to reach out, patting Sehun’s chin in a comforting gesture.

“You’re free to do whatever you want but of course, in the hopes that you learn something about yourself. Poseidon was understanding about your length of stay so take however long you’d like.”

“I still find that unbelievable,” Sehun wracks his brain as to why his father would be so flexible until it dawns on him. “So this is another test?”

“Why would you think that?”

“He’s letting me experience new things outside of divinity in this field work for an extended period. He knows how I will feel attached in some way. Come on, Junmyeon, I’m not the favorite son for nothing.”

At the little twitch in Junmyeon’s smile, Sehun knows he hit the nail in the head. The entire plan screams Poseidon all over it. He will be able to score some fatherly points in Sehun’s eyes while still making sure that Sehun doesn’t stray away from his purpose that comes by birthright.

“All I can say to that is just don’t be too attached. I can be lenient, but your father is the contrary.”

“Not helpful at all,” Sehun mutters, walking to the deck as he hugs his body tighter. “I haven’t even started the fieldwork, but I know how hard that will be already.”

As they arrive in town and dock their boat at one of the ports, Sehun spends the entire time in silence. His mind reels at the underlying challenge given by his father, and he's not ecstatic about it. 

It’s beginning to sound like he's bargaining his feelings.

|

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|

After what feels like a restless night of trying to sleep in a dry condition, the first thing Sehun does when he wakes up is a shower. Once the water hits his skin, Sehun moans in satisfaction. It’s only the first day. He's confident he will adjust, but boy, does he love the feeling of water around him.

It's becoming so tempting for him to isolate his room with water until he can hear Junmyeon's voice ringing in his head. 

"Don't even think of filling this room with water! As enjoyable as it sounds, all this furniture will be damaged once soaked in water for too long."

_Oh, Junmyeon. You make it even more tempting to do so just for shits and giggles._

Taking his time to get ready, Sehun spares an appreciative glance at the moss-colored turtleneck and black fitted pants. It serves as another reminder of how grateful Sehun is at Junmyeon.He somewhat managed to find very nice clothes that fit Sehun perfectly and match his deep green hair.

By the time Sehun steps into the kitchen, Junmyeon is scrolling through his phone. At the sound of footsteps, he raises his head before nodding at Sehun, his finger pointing at a similar-looking device on the counter.

"That's yours. I figured you'll need it considering the uncertainty of our length of stay."

"Thanks, I might need a quick rundown on how to use that," Sehun glances at his outfit again. He continues, "And thanks for the clothes. They compliment me well."

"Don't mention it. You look good," Junmyeon compliments, smiling.

“Hey, where are you getting ambrosia? Are you going to include nectar?”

Earlier, Junmyeon had asked Sehun to go to the market in a feeble attempt of neutrality between them. Sehun hesitated to agree until he mentions possibly getting ambrosia.

“We have nectar already,” Junmyeon points at the bottle with gold-colored liquid resting on the countertop. “Do you want some?”

Earning a nod from Sehun, Junmyeon opens one of the kitchen cabinets and grabs a cup. He carefully pours the nectar into it before sliding the drink to Sehun.

“Junmyeon, where are you getting ambrosia?”

“One of the stalls at the market we’re going to has ambrosia.”

“Is this stall in any way affiliated with our world?”

“Yes, they're a family of satyrs. They know about us, but I’d much prefer it if you don’t actually say who you really are. If you catch my drift.”

“A water pun already,” Sehun sighs, earning a goofy grin from Junmyeon. “Safety precautions, I know.”

“Good, now drink up. That ambrosia sounds really good right now.”

To say that Sehun is surprised at the number of people at the fish market is an understatement. It's still jam-packed even by the time he gets there. A constant number of people are entering and exiting the market, and the chatter inside rings across the building. 

Dazed, Sehun fails to catch Junmyeon’s voice until he feels a light tap on his arm. At his beckoning, Sehun follows the brown-haired boy closely, his eyes scanning the stalls as he passes them by.

The last time Sehun has ever been in a loud place was in his ascension of palace duties that was celebrated by everyone. He already feels foreign in this new place, and the crowd in the market further emphasizes that.

And the _pungent_ smell of dead fish.

A little too distasteful for him, Sehun ducks his head, hiding his scrunching nose. But with his gaze at his feet, Sehun isn't aware of Junmyeon's abrupt stop until he bumps into his back.

“We’re here, Sehun,” Junmyeon glances over to Sehun. 

Looking over at the stall they stopped at, Sehun smiles when he notices the subtle adornments that remind him of Poseidon and the ocean. The seafoam colored **Byun’s Catch** sign, tiny seashells weaved together and hung around, and small wood carvings of the Olympus symbol and Poseidon’s three-pronged trident by the back wall. 

It shouldn't throw Sehun off, but he's taken aback when a male satyr who looks about Junmyeon's age walks out of the stall and greets Junmyeon in a friendly manner. Sehun has almost forgotten that humans aren't capable of seeing beyond the fog of illusion.

“Are you back for more of our special order?”

Junmyeon smiles politely, nodding. “Yes, we’ve run out of it back home.”

“We’ll get that ready for you then. Good to see you, Junmyeon,” the man pats Junmyeon’s shoulder before he glances at Sehun. 

He gives Sehun a once over, one of his eyebrows raising in interest once he sees the pendant necklace. But before he can ask, a loud voice coming from inside the stall interrupts him. 

“Junmyeon! It’s been a while since I last saw you.”

“Baekhyun,” Junmyeon grins, opening his arms for a welcoming embrace. Once they've shared a fierce hug, Junmyeon points at Sehun. “I’m bringing someone with me. This is Sehun.”

Now that Sehun can get a look at him, Baekhyun looks almost exactly the same as the other satyr. Even down to their eye smiles, the similarity is uncanny.

 _They must be siblings,_ Sehun thinks.

“Hey, I’m Baekhyun,” he waves his hand at Sehun before pointing at the other satyr. He then continues, “This is my brother, Baekbeom.”

“Sorry I didn’t introduce myself earlier. I must’ve weirded you out a little bit there,” Baekbeom chuckles nervously. 

“No worries. It’s nice to meet you both,” Sehun waves back before freezing when he realizes he has no idea what fabricated narrative he should tell them. His sudden silence only confuses the siblings, but Junmyeon is quick to understand his predicament.

“He’s my apprentice. Poseidon granted him to accompany me in this fieldwork.”

“Exactly,” Sehun agrees along with Junmyeon, his hand scratching the back of his neck. “This is my first time here too, so I’m a little nervous.”

“That’s understandable. I'm sure you'll get the hang of it, but if you ever need help, we're here!"

"Thanks. I appreciate that Baekbeom," Sehun smiles.

“So you came from the ocean?” Baekhyun asks when his brother leaves them be. Sehun's eyes widen at the casualty. 

The fact that they’re speaking about these things so publicly is quite nerve-wracking. What if someone hears them talking? What are they going to think?

_Or maybe humans don’t care? I really don't know._

“Junmyeon always does that,” Baekhyun speaks up, his eyes telling him that he knows. "Being careful not to talk so openly about who we are." 

“That's what he taught me."

“Humans can't hear any of that talk,” Baekhyun answers the question Sehun has in his mind. Sehun raises his eyebrows, earning a small laugh from Baekhyun. "It's the same as how they can't see my satyr form. They hear a different conversation if we're talking about anything that could reveal us."

"I didn't know that," Sehun admits. "That's comforting, but you wouldn't know what other creatures are lurking."

"We can sense that too. We're safe, " Baekhyun grins before his face perks up. He clearly has something in mind. "Since you're new around here, I'd like to give you my personal tour.”

Sehun hums, his eyes glancing at Baekbeom and Junmyeon. “Are you not preoccupied? Your brother might need help at your kiosk.”

“We've sold most of today's inventory, and my brother can hold on his own. I’ll tell them both where we’re going. Wait here, Sehun.” 

Sehun distracts himself, looking at other kiosks while he waits for Baekhyun. He can only hear so little of what Baekhyun is saying, but when he returns, he grins while giving Sehun thumbs up. 

And so they begin what Baekhyun calls the _Special Baekhyun Tour,_ which consists of whatever Baekhyun thinks is good at that time. They spend the rest of the day getting to know each other, buying some grilled seafood as they pass by the snack kiosks, and going to the docks.

There's something so gratifying just by being around Baekhyun’s presence. The boy is naturally outgoing in every sense of the word. He never once stumbles on what to say next and always finds a way to make him smile, and Sehun admires that. 

_If only there were more like him in the palace._

As they walk along the docks, Sehun stops in his tracks when he sees the sun setting down on the horizon. The blue sky is bleeding into a bright orange hue. Being in the ocean for most of his life, he rarely has the opportunity to appreciate how breathtaking things are outside.

 _And bless Apollo for this beauty._

“Do you get to see the sunset when you’re in the ocean?”

“Not really. The only sunlight that I can see is when the ocean is darker or brighter,” Sehun inhales a deep breath.

“Well, definitely enjoy all of this while you can,” Baekhyun smiles when he sees Sehun’s eyelids fluttering shut, letting the silence settle between them. Only after a while that Baekhyun pats Sehun’s arm. “Come with me. I want to introduce you to my friends.”

“Are they like you?” Sehun asks, his eyes opening again.

“There's no one like me. Come on, Sehun, get with the program," Baekhyun jokes, earning a laugh from Sehun. "I love them, but keep in mind that they’re regular humans.”

“Hey, I'm not a snitch,” Sehun raises an eyebrow as he gives Baekhyun an accusing glance. “I should be the one worried about you.”

“I’ve been friends with them for years, and they still don’t have a single clue of my identity.”

There’s sadness in his voice. Sehun can tell that Baekhyun is unhappy at his dishonesty towards his friends, and he wants to comfort him. He wants to encourage Baekhyun to be honest, but he’d be a hypocrite.

“Let’s meet your friends then.” 

In an attempt to comfort his first inland friend, Sehun puts his arm around Baekhyun’s shoulder. When he sees Baekhyun’s shy smile, Sehun somersaults internally at his success. 

His fieldwork is off to a good start, and it’s only the first day. Not paying attention to where they’re going, Sehun realizes that they’re already at the end of the dock. From there, it’s just the open seas.

“Took you long enough,” someone shouts, causing Sehun and Baekhyun to turn their heads at the voice.

To Sehun’s astonishment, the voice comes from a guy who looks way too pretty to be human. From a short distance, Sehun can tell that the guy is tall, and he's a got tan skin that is well-complemented by the sun setting behind him. 

The bright smile on his lips almost made him wonder if he’s not the sun himself, but that would mean offending Apollo, and he wouldn’t want to do that to one of his favorite gods. But he sure is close to admitting it.

In his daze, Sehun fails to register the other guy standing next to him. Only until Baekhyun lightly elbows him that Sehun gulps and starts blinking again. He doesn’t even realize he had stopped blinking. 

“Reign it in there, Sehun, I know Jongin is hot,” Baekhyun whispers gleefully, pulling away from Sehun’s arm. “Sorry guys, I got carried away showing this guy around. He’s new to town.”

“I was starting to get a little worried there,” the other guy chimes in. The first thing Sehun notices about him is his short black hair. “You’ve never arrived later than Jongin.”

“Oh fuck off,” the--gorgeous--guy named Jongin scoffs, crossing his arms in defense. “I got off work on time today.”

“That’s a miracle,” the other guy teases, earning another scoff from Jongin. The short black-haired guy shrugs before his gaze fall to Sehun. His doe eyes show a hint of interest, and Sehun smiles shyly. 

“Hey, I didn’t catch your name.”

“I’m Sehun,” he answers, waving his hand. This time, he's quick to fabricate a lie. “I’m visiting my relatives, so I’ll be in town for a while.”

“That’s always a nice thing to do. I’m Kyungsoo,” he puts out his hand, and Sehun takes it, shaking his hand. Kyungsoo then points at Baekhyun. “Get ready to always be dragged by him to hang out with us.”

“Which means you’re now our friend by default. I’m Jongin, by the way,” he chimes with a cheerful voice. Jongin squints his eyes, leaning forward too close to Sehun. “Finally, someone as tall as me.”

Immediately after, Baekhyun and Kyungsoo snap back in a protest of his height shaming, which only amuses Jongin. As Jongin grins, he walks to stand behind Sehun, as if shielding himself from the other two. His hands come up to rest on Sehun’s shoulders when he breathily says in between his laughter.

“You’re in this together with me now, Sehun.”

As soon as he hears those words leave Jongin's mouth, Sehun's heart starts beating rapidly, and he immediately knows that he’s fucked. _Oh, he is definitely and utterly fucked._

|

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|

After multiple times meeting Baekhyun’s friends, Sehun is finally well-acquainted with Jongin and Kyungsoo. 

He learns that Kyungsoo owns a pastry shop while Jongin works as a skipper for his father’s fishing boat. It's disheartening to know that Jongin's line of work is life-threatening when compared to Kyungsoo's and Baekhyun's. But Sehun finds himself relieved when he finds out that Jongin is only on duty as a substitute skipper.

So most of the time, Jongin is inland, and every time the three of them are free, they would always ask Sehun to hang out after.

Countless times, Sehun would always reconsider agreeing. He’s well-aware that Jongin will be there, and that boy screams trouble for Sehun, more specifically for his feelings.

Especially since Jongin is comfortable with touching people.

Whether it would be putting his arm around Sehun’s shoulder, softly gripping Sehun's thigh when he laughs next to him, or a back hug, Sehun would get flustered, his body turning rigid. 

Not that he feels uncomfortable, it’s actually to the contrary. He enjoys Jongin’s little touches.

Sehun knows he's going down a path that he can't backpedal from, especially since Sehun already acknowledges the attraction he has for Jongin. If he was any other mortal, he would act on his feelings in the hopes that he likes him back. 

But Sehun’s no mortal, and he feels uneasy knowing that he will eventually leave.

“That’s a hard thinking face if I’ve ever seen one,” Baekhyun speaks softly. Sehun weakly smiles, not sure if he’s up for that conversation. “You know you can be fully transparent with me?”

Baekhyun doesn’t continue pestering once he sees Sehun nod, and for the rest of their walk to Kyungsoo’s shop, they spend it in silence. 

Sehun wants to confide in Baekhyun; he's a precious friend after all. But opening up means that he needs to be honest about who he is, at least to some level.

“Has Junmyeon mentioned that our time here is temporary?”

“We know it’s always temporary.”

“If you knew that, why did you introduce me to your mortal friends?”

“Can I be honest with you?” Sehun nods, curious about what Baekhyun has to say. “When we first met, you looked lost. Like you were uncertain with yourself. I thought that maybe having friends might make you feel better.”

“Damn, I was that obvious?” Baekhyun nods, and Sehun inhales sharply. He continues, “Thank you. I appreciate you introducing them to me and being able to call them my friends too, but there’s this thing that complicates things.”

“That thing being you’re into Jongin, and it complicates your stay here.” Baekhyun laughs when he sees Sehun's cheeks flushing. “I can tell from how you reacted when you first saw him. So what about it?”

“I’m going to leave in who knows how many months, and I won’t be able to see you guys for probably years. What happens then?”

“Whoa, you’re getting way ahead of yourself,” he stops to stand in front of Sehun, worry evident in his eyes. “Why don’t you just let it happen? You’ll only give yourself a headache if you think that far ahead.”

“It’s hard-wired in me to look at things in the long run,” Sehun trails off.

“You’re inland right now, so why not do the opposite? Do things for your selfish reasons, not for what they’ve taught you, and if a problem arises, you face it.”

Sehun ponders at Baekhyun’s suggestion even though he knows that what he said was right. There’s no other time to be selfish until now. 

_When else will I be able to experience the best parts of humanity? To make mistakes?_

At least that’s one of the things that his father always says to him. _“You learn the best from your mistakes.”_

So when he sees Jongin smiling as he waves his hand at him, Sehun smiles and waves back in confidence. It puts him at ease, knowing that Baekhyun has the best interest at heart. From now on, Sehun will be selfish, and he will face things head-on.

“I finally got red wine so Sehun can drink with us,” Kyungsoo shows the bottle in his hand, Jongin not far behind holding four glasses. 

“Because of Sehun, we’re being all fancy with our liquor of choice,” Jongin teases Sehun before he winks at him. Startled, Sehun takes a sharp inhale, his head shaking as he tries to stop the rising heat in his cheeks.

“As if you drink, Jongin. You hate drinking booze,” Baekhyun points an accusatory finger at Jongin. The boy in question only smiles guiltily.

“Says the light drinker,” Jongin banters, and Baekhyun whines in response. “Anyways, I’ll tolerate the taste of wine for Sehun.”

 _Damn it, Jongin._

Sehun grits his teeth even though his cheeks are showing otherwise. He can no longer hide the fact that he’s blushing anymore. Only until Sehun sees Baekhyun giggling at him that he covers his face with his hands.

“Okay, sweet talker. How about we open this bottle first?” Kyungsoo sighs as he pulls out a corkscrew from his front pocket. He opens the wine with a satisfying pop as Baekhyun cheers. 

After the glasses are set on the table, Kyungsoo pours each of them equally. Baekhyun snatches a glass first before raising it in the air to initiating a toast. 

When everyone else follows along, Baekhyun clears his throat before speaking. “Cheers to trying new things and to Sehun!”

As the resounding voice of them saying cheers fill the empty pastry shop, they exchange eye contact with each other. But when Sehun looks at Jongin’s eyes, he suddenly finds it hard to breathe as they hold each other’s gaze. 

Everything around them turns hazy as Sehun's eyes follow Jongin's movement, bringing his glass to his lips. Jongin smirks as he takes a sip, his gaze never once leaving Sehun’s.

The thundering in Sehun’s heart proves to be damning. But Jongin's smirk and his lingering gaze further indicate that this boy in front of him is well aware of his effect on him. Oh, how he wants to kiss that smug smirk off of him.

|

|

|

A few weeks pass since Sehun arrived inland, and he has not once contacted his father. A little bit of him is happy at the change of scenery and people even though a large part of mortals mirror how everyone at the palace is. At least, Sehun gets to meet the best people.

“You should still update him on your progress, Sehun,” Junmyeon’s voice echoes from his bedroom.

“And how should I do that? I can’t just swim and risk someone seeing me.”

“I’ll take you out on our boat just like how we first got here.”

“We should probably leave soon if you want to do that,” Sehun glances at the clock hanging on the wall, and it shows 1:34 AM. 

By the crack of dawn, they would already be too late since that’s when the port starts getting busy. Junmyeon spends an additional few more minutes to get ready, and after donning three layers of clothing, they step out of their house. 

The moment the air hits his skin, Sehun reflexively starts hugging himself for added warmth. It’s getting closer to the end of fall, and the night air is excruciatingly chilly. 

For their short walk to the dock and their preparations for the boat, they spend it in silence. Not by choice, but because of the cold air. As Junmyeon ignites the engine, Sehun unties the docking lines on the post. With the water being calm, they sail out to the open sea in no time.

“Is my father going to meet me directly?”

“I think so. Why?” Junmyeon responds without a second thought.

“Let’s just get this over with,” not wanting to be only in his boxers, Sehun takes his time, taking off his clothes. Starting with just his coat and shoes.

“You don’t sound so excited."

“Meeting him is a reminder that I’ll be leaving by the end of this,” Sehun mutters, both from the cold and the sheer frustration.

“I’m sorry. There’s nothing I can do,” Junmyeon speaks softly. There’s regret etched in his face, and Sehun knows that deep down, he cares for the best of him. 

“You don’t need to be sorry for something you didn’t do,” Sehun steps closer to Junmyeon, his hand rubbing his back in a comforting manner. “It is what it is.”

“This is why you’re my favorite. You don’t treat me like shit when you’re complaining just because I’m the nearest to you. I’m just a guardian, after all,” Junmyeon lets out a sigh of relief.

“And I wouldn’t trade you for any other guardian.”

They come to a stop soon after, and Sehun doesn’t spend a second longer on the boat when he’s only in his boxers. He jumps into the unrelenting ocean, and his breathing once again adjusts to being underwater.

In all honesty, Sehun misses the coldness and buoyancy around his skin. The pendant on his neck is pulsing on a steady rhythm, and not long after, he hears the familiar sound of hippocampi.

As they come nearer, Sehun sees his father in the chariot, and even in this distance, his eyes are as intimidating and stormy as it can be. They stop in front of Sehun, and judging by the smile on his lips, Poseidon seems to be in a good mood.

“I can’t say it’s not an amusing sight to see you wearing mortal clothing.”

Sehun smiles at the implication behind his father’s comment. In their god form, the outfit they wear every day is ostentatious, especially Sehun’s, so to see each other in plain clothes is jarring. Poseidon must be in his best mood to strike a conversation with their inside joke.

“You can’t deny how comfortable humans’ clothes can be.”

His father's chuckles sound like a rich baritone. “There’s no denying indeed. So how’s it been inland?”

“It was hard initially to adjust to sleeping in a dry condition, but I’ve gotten better. There’s a family of satyrs in town, and I befriended one of them. He introduced me to his mortal friends.”

“Sounds like things are going well. How are you feeling?”

“Better. I've learned that when it comes to duties, it’s wise to look at things for the future. But to learn for me, I need to make selfish reasons for myself.”

Sehun surprises himself after hearing what he just said out loud. His voice sounds more confident and sure. Even his father must’ve caught the same impression because the corners of his eyes are wrinkling in a way where he seems _proud._

“I can tell it’s doing you some good,” Poseidon smiles again. That’s two smiles already, and Sehun feels like he wants to push his luck even further.

“I have a question,” Sehun treads on the question carefully when his father motions him to continue. “Is it forbidden to have any relations with a mortal?”

At this question, his father furrows his eyebrows, and Sehun already thinks of the worst possible outcome just from that reaction. But unbeknownst to Sehun, his father is more surprised than he is angry. 

The only entanglements he’s ever heard of among his offspring are with sea nymphs, and in some cases, with sirens. So to hear Sehun talk about mortals was something he didn’t expect.

“Am I hearing this correctly? I never considered any of my children to fancy a mortal, let alone you."

Poseidon has this incredulous look on his face. He's never had an expressive response, so he looks way too comical. Holding back his laughter, Sehun suffices it with a wide grin.

"Oh, please don’t call them mortal. Hearing it makes me feel old."

"Nonsense. You? Old? If you're old, then what am I?"

His father feigns so much offense. Among gods, age is a sensitive topic, or it doesn’t matter at all. With how well things are going between them right now, Sehun lets his laughter ring in the ocean.

"What I mean is calling them mortals makes me feel older than I know I am."

"Fair enough. Now, should I know the specifics?"

"The only thing you need to know is it’s a guy," Sehun purses his lips. 

“There’s nothing forbidden about having romantic relations with humans, but time is fragile for them. You’re going to outlive them, and if this is reciprocated, then in their short lifetime, they’ll be waiting for you more than being with you.”

Every fiber being in Sehun’s body knows that what his father said is true. As much as he’d like this romantic pursuit to be wholesome, the truth is it’s painful for both of them. Sehun’s hand comes up to the left of his chest, feeling his heartbeat.

His father looks at him thoughtfully as he strokes his beautiful beard. “If he’s worth it, go for it. I know you can handle what it entails.”

Sehun can hear the finality in his voice, and as he looks up, his father gives him a comforting smile before one of his hands reaches out to pat Sehun’s cheek. In this sudden gesture of affection, Sehun lets out a small sob. Overwhelmed with feelings, he can only nod in response, and as if on cue, the hippocampi starts swimming away. The last thing Sehun sees is his father waving at him.

Even after Sehun resurfaces and climbs back on the boat, everything feels like a blur to him. There’s a sudden numbness behind the echo of Poseidon’s words. Seeing the drastic change in Sehun’s demeanor, Junmyeon tries his best to comfort him while he steers the boat.

As they get closer to dry land, seeing as how Sehun made no attempt to dry himself, Junmyeon’s hand glows as the water drenching Sehun starts forming into swirls around him. Before he knows it, the little bubbles of water around him fall to the ground, and Sehun’s body is newly dry.

“Can you at least put your clothes back on, Sehun?”

“I can. Thank you, Junmyeon.”

“No problem. Whenever you’re ready, you can talk to me,” Junmyeon replies, stressing that he’s there for him. Sehun smiles, hoping that it’s enough to show his gratitude.

He then moves to prepare the dock lines and fenders when their designated dock is in view. As Junmyeon maneuvers their boat around and slowly back into the slip, Sehun perks up when he hears a familiar voice in the faint distance. Not sure who it is, Sehun scans the boats around him and spots the nearest one to them. 

There’s a lot of moving on deck, and judging by the ornate set up of nets and fishing lines, they look like they’re getting ready to leave. As they come to a full stop, Sehun finally gets a clearer view of who it is. Jongin seems to be busy preparing their boat, listing off fishing equipment without missing a beat.

As their boat comes to a full stop, Sehun quickly ties all the docking lines to the available posts. Letting Junmyeon know that he’s going to see a friend, Sehun then makes a beeline to Jongin’s boat.

Instead of going directly to Jongin, Sehun waits by the side, making sure that he doesn’t block any of them. Once he catches Jongin’s eye, the boy stops abruptly as his eyes widen. 

“Sehun?”

“You should finish what you’re doing before getting over here.”

“I’ll be done after I move this,” Jongin laughs infectiously as Sehun’s lips tug into a small smile.

As he lifts a barrel, Sehun’s eyes flicker to his arm as his biceps flex from carrying it. Sehun catches himself and darts his eyes somewhere else before his gaze can start trailing up at Jongin’s sweaty neck.

He hears a soft thud near him and turns his head to see a breathless and sweaty Jongin, a small towel slung around his neck. He’s wearing a sleeveless shirt, his hair tied into a bun. Even under the dark sky with a poorly lit lamp from around the boat, Jongin looks beautiful.

“Why are you up at this hour, Sehun?”

“I was going to ask the same thing but then seeing your work explains it.” 

Sehun doesn’t know why but he’s also breathless. His nerves seem to go awry from his father’s words and now encountering Jongin. 

“I was accompanying my relative on a voyage.”

“A voyage at this time?” Jongin asks, grinning. “You’re lucky the ocean seems to be calm. It would’ve been dangerous if the currents turned rough.”

“Right, tell me about it.” 

To his dismay, he's giving away his current state through his faint voice, and Jongin seems to pick up on it because now there's concern etched on his face. As he pats his neck with the towel, Jongin carefully walks closer.

“Hey, what’s wrong? Do you want to talk about it?"

He initially doesn’t want to talk about his dilemma to the very person that is the center of the said dilemma, but there’s something in the way Jongin looks at him that compels Sehun to cave.

“Are you free right now?”

Jongin nods as he answers, “I’m free all day. Do you want to go to someplace nicer?”

“Sure, lead the way.”

As they walk side by side in silence, Sehun notices the small distance between them as their shoulders brush with one another. Jongin keeps stealing glances at him as his lips form into the cutest pout.

“What do you want to say, Jongin?”

Jongin clears his throat, avoiding Sehun’s gaze at him. “Do you want to talk about it now or later when we get there?”

“I think I’ll get to it when we’re there. Distract me.”

“Okay, um,” Jongin, obviously startled at his request, looks at Sehun up and down briefly. His eyebrows then raise when he stares at the Sehun’s hair. “I always wondered about your hair color.”

“What about it?”

“Why did you choose green?”

Shaking his head in amusement, Sehun chuckles under his breath. _I guess that’s one way to distract me._

“Why can’t it be green, Jongin? You’re not a fan of it?”

Not expecting Sehun's answer to be a question, Jongin smirks. “So we’re just tossing questions at each other?”

“Fine, fine,” Sehun raises his hands up in defeat. “I’ve never had this hair color before, so when I felt like dying it, I chose green.”

But, the actual reason is quite the contrary. Sehun was simply born with dark green hair. The only stylistic choice he made was to let his hair grow out past shoulder length.

“Dark green is a big no in this town,” Jongin’s voice trails off, unsure if he should continue. Sehun gives him an encouraging smile. “Dark green camouflages once it’s underwater, and since we’re big on fishing and sea voyages, people stay away from that color.”

 _Shit,_ _Jongin just quite literally spelled out the reason why I have that hair color._

Sehun smiles sheepishly to himself, masking his surprise. In his god form, Sehun’s hair color is part of the camouflage, complete with his mossy green outfit. Despite their immortality, they still live among humans, who have no idea of their existence, so disguising in nature is what’s best for them.

“I guess that makes sense. My hair must’ve been such a shock for everyone then.”

“I wouldn’t say it’s a shock,” Jongin shrugs his shoulders before he looks back at Sehun. “But you definitely stood out.”

After they both fall quiet, Sehun thinks that they will stay that way until they get to wherever Jongin is taking him. So he doesn’t expect to feel a brush to his right shoulder and for Jongin to stop walking.

When he turns his head, he meets Jongin’s eyes. As seconds feel like hours, before Sehun knows it, he can feel Jongin’s hand combing through his hair softly. The gesture is abruptly affectionate and gentle that Sehun can't help but lean into the touch.

Jongin’s lips form into a smile, faintly whispering, “It looks pretty on you.” 

And just like that, Jongin pulls away, causing Sehun to miss his touch and his mind reeling. 

_What the fuck just happened?_

But before he can say anything more, Sehun scans their surroundings. It seems like the beach is where Jongin was taking him to, and at this hour, no one is there but them. He’s standing a distance away from him, and when he turns back to Sehun, Jongin has such a bright smile on his lips that radiates pure joy.

Sehun grins at the beautiful sight of the beach and the pretty boy standing in front of him. As he gets closer to him, Jongin asks with the happiest voice, “So, what do you think?”

“It’s perfect. And we get to see the sunrise,” Sehun replies earnestly. 

He points behind Jongin, seeing the faint silhouette of the sun. The sky above them is slowly brightening up, and in his excitement, Sehun carelessly sits on the sand. Jongin follows suit, sitting next to him and not leaving much room between them.

“Right on time, Sehun. Have you ever seen a sunrise?”

“Is it sad that I haven’t?”

“No, there’s always a first for everything after all.”

None of them talk as they watch the sunrise with the sound of waves crashing accompanying them. Jongin's shuffling is noticeable, but before Sehun can comment on it, he feels the weight of Jongin leaning closer, his head slowly resting at the crook of Sehun’s neck. 

“Are you fine with this?” Jongin asks softly. 

Sehun responds with a nod, making the former intertwine their arms together. He scoots impossibly closer as he tries to make them both feel more comfortable.

But it doesn’t matter to Sehun. Not when Jongin’s warmth makes him exhale the breath he doesn’t realize he was holding. Not when the salty air mixes with the smell of musk from Jongin. Not when he knows how perfect Jongin’s head fits in his neck.

They bask in the early sunlight and windy autumn air. As his nerves calm down, Sehun speaks up, breaking their little bubble of silence. 

“Have you ever felt like you want to do something so much even though you know you'll possibly get hurt?”

Sehun hears a soft sigh before Jongin answers, “More times than I can count.”

“That’s what I felt earlier. The thing is, I know there's that possibility in the back of my head, but when someone says it to me, it makes things...” Sehun drifts off, unable to continue.

“It makes it real when it’s not in your mind,” Jongin offers, earning a grateful smile from the long-haired boy.

“Exactly, and what terrifies me most is apart of me wants to say fuck it and still do it anyway for my own selfish reasons. Because when will I be able to have the opportunity again? If things go south, the best thing that it can give me is a lesson.”

“Especially if it's worth the risk,” Jongin states in a trance, pulling away from Sehun’s neck.

“What’s up with you now?” Sehun smiles at the look of pure epiphany on Jongin’s face like something just dawned on him.

“Let’s make a deal,” Jongin proposes, earning a confused look from Sehun. “Let’s do the selfish thing we wanted to do and get through the possible risk together. Deal?”

Jongin offers his hand for Sehun to shake, and without any second thoughts, the latter takes his hand for a playful shake. Subsequently, they end up staring at each other again with smiles on their lips. Sehun is the first one to break apart, looking down at his hand in Jongin's. 

Jongin, who's tanned skin from sun exposure at his job. The roughness of his palm from handling heavy equipment and engines in contrast with Sehun’s smooth hand and fair skin from spending most of his life underwater, learning his responsibility as a god.

“Tell me, what’s the selfish thing you want to do, Jongin?”

“I’m a closeted bisexual,” Jongin pauses, his eyes wide. “I haven’t come out to my family, but I just came out to you.”

“Are you okay with accidentally coming out to me?”

“Clearly, I am. There’s something about you that makes me want to be completely honest with myself and the people around me.”

“I hope that’s a good thing,” Sehun pulls his hand away from Jongin’s. “Does Baekhyun and Kyungsoo know?”

“I haven’t explicitly come out, but I think they know. So, how about you? What’s your selfish thing?”

Sehun’s smile turns mischievous, “You’ll find out eventually.”

“That’s it? Not even a hint? Give me some butter for this bread.”

“That doesn’t even make sense.”

“It does!” 

Jongin sounds exasperated, clearly curious about the thing Sehun is hiding. Relishing in his delight, Sehun gives Jongin a wink before he abruptly stands up, dusting off the sand sticking on his pants. Following behind, Jongin does the same thing but with less eagerness to him.

“Do you at least want to grab breakfast with me?”

“Is this an attempt to sway me, Jongin? Because I’m headstrong in keeping it a secret for now.”

“I sense a challenge in that,” there’s a growing vigor in Jongin’s eyes, and Sehun finds it endearing that he agrees for breakfast. 

Even though he’s not going to eat human food and he’ll just be there as a company, Sehun knows that he’ll find ways to entertain himself. Or maybe he doesn’t even have to find ways because there’s Jongin.

|

|

|

Ever since that day, things have changed for the better between Jongin and Sehun. They become closer friends, having spontaneous adventures at dawn when not many people are up. Oddly, Jongin seems to find comfort in being so close to Sehun, where back hugs are second nature, and Jongin would occasionally nuzzle into Sehun’s neck and hair.

There have been instances where a confession is at the tip of Sehun’s tongue, but his courage wilts in a mere few seconds. He’s gotten to a point where Baekhyun and Kyungsoo know he’s pining over Jongin.

“Tell me what the big fuss is about again.”

“I just told you everything there is to know,” there's desperation in Sehun’s voice, leading Kyungsoo to snort in response. It’s one of those rare occurrences where Jongin is unavailable, so there’s only the three of them.

“But I don’t understand the holdup. What’s stopping you from confessing?”

“For once, I agree with Baekhyun. He just came out to us. You know that means he could be into you, right?”

“You might probably know by now, I’m new to confessing. I don’t think I can handle the possibility of Jongin turning me down.”

“But the thing is, Sehun,” Baekhyun says as if he's giving advice to a child. Sehun isn't sure if he finds offense in that because they both know he’s older than him. “It might not all be one-sided. I’m confident Jongin is into you too.”

“What makes you think that?”

“He’s very affectionate towards you, that’s for sure.”

“But he does that to you guys too?”

“Sure, he does that because he’s comfortable with us,” Kyungsoo cuts in, as he occupies himself with putting the leftover pastries aside. “But he would never comb our hair out of nowhere and call us pretty.”

Sehun’s shoulders slump in defeat, knowing that his friends make a good argument. There are definitely moments when Sehun questions if they’ve crossed the friendship line just by looking at their intimacy. But it doesn't negate how quickly Sehun turns into a mumbling mess once he gets any close to confessing.

“So what should I do? We know by now how terrible I am at making a move.”

“Just wait,” Kyungsoo looks thoughtful. “I have a feeling Jongin will come around.”

“Or if you’re impatient, you can always swoop in for a magical kiss and have magical sex,” Baekhyun jokes, earning a smack from Kyungsoo when he passes by him to their table.

“Trust me, Sehun, if Jongin likes you, you’ll know. He’s got his heart on his sleeves,” Kyungsoo reiterates his opinion.

But as he believes in Kyungsoo’s words, it’s what eventually reminds Sehun of the fragility of time. He can feel something unsettling in the pit of his stomach. After avoiding counting days for so long, Sehun caves in and looks at the calendar at Junmyeon’s room.

That’s when he notices that when the next Monday rolls around, it marks the third month since they’re inland. That means it’s been the longest fieldwork Sehun has gone on, and his gut instincts are only confirmed once he reads what Junmyeon scribbled.

 _He only has seven days left before Sehun has to come home_.

So for the next three days, Sehun is starting to feel antsy from Jongin’s lack of presence, and he can’t blame him either. His dad’s skipper came down with a cold, and Jongin is taking his place. 

It takes up to five days once they set out for hunting, but it’s been five days since Jongin has left. Time is ticking, and Sehun only has four more days before he leaves. If Jongin still hasn’t come back on the fifth day, Sehun has no choice but to let his friends indirectly tell his confession.

But the world seems to work at his will. 

As Sehun is eating Kyungsoo’s leftover pastries and laughing at Baekhyun’s knock-knock joke, the bell by the door rings, indicating someone's entry to the shop.

He turns his head to the door, only to see the face he’s been missing for every single day, staring back at him with the biggest smile. 

“Jongin!” Kyungsoo calls out. 

In disbelief, Sehun is speechless. Despite his nerves going in disarray, Sehun notices Jongin has this glow about him that he can’t put his finger on. He’s just radiating like sunshine.

“How are you guys?”

Sehun involuntarily sighs at Jongin’s voice. His honey voice. Now that Sehun thinks about it, everything about Jongin is like honey; his voice, his brown eyes, his sun-kissed skin, and his sweetness that is just enough for Sehun. 

_Alright, alright, maybe I miss him that fucking much._

“Holding up well without you,” Baekhyun teases, earning a pout from Jongin. “How was fishing?”

“We got lucky with the area we decided to set up for fishing. I got back here very late last night.”

“Is that why you look so happy?” Kyungsoo asks. 

So it seems like everyone notices something different about Jongin, not just Sehun. Jongin smiles all giddily as he walks to their shared table.

“No,” Jongin pauses intentionally, creating suspense. “I came out to my family this morning, and it went well!”

Cheers and screams erupt in the shop as Baekhyun, being the loudest, screams nonsense into the air as he gives Jongin a hug. Kyungsoo joins in the hug, but not before he playfully smacks Baekhyun, grinning when Baekhyun whines at him.

As much as he wants to join the hug, Sehun actually prefers to remember the precious sight before him. So he stands nearby, his smile wide as he looks at his friends fondly. It warms his heart, knowing that he’s friends with such amazing people in the short amount of time he’s in town.

_These are the people I’ll remember forever._

“Sehun,” Jongin calls out. They break apart from their big hug, and now Jongin is walking, crossing Sehun’s personal space. “I did my selfish thing. Aren’t you going to celebrate with me?”

And that’s all Sehun needs to hear before he opens his arms and envelops Jongin into his warm embrace. He feels Jongin’s arms wrap around his waist, pulling him closer until their bodies are flush together. As Jongin nuzzles closer to Sehun’s neck, he giggles as Jongin's breath tickles him.

“I’m happy for you, Jongin,” Sehun mumbles.

“Now that I did mine,” Jongin whispers, his lips dangerously brushing against Sehun’s earlobe. “How about you?”

Despite his cheeks blushing to a deep red, Sehun has this newfound courage, mildly fueled by desperation to make his move.

“Meet me at the usual hour, at the usual place.”

After they pull away after what felt like a long hug, Sehun's body tenses when he hears a whistle, realizing that Baekhyun and Kyungsoo witnessed everything. Turning his head slowly, he sees Baekhyun's shit-eating grin while Kyungsoo is shaking his head, hiding his smile.

“That was some heavy and prolonged hug right there,” Baekhyun states, his eyes glinting mischievously.

“We can always leave you two alone,” Kyungsoo offers.

“Shut up,” Sehun groans, glaring when he sees them both smirking at him.

Jongin shrugs them off with a wave of his hand, and they seem to leave the topic alone, moving on to asking the details of how Jongin came out. At least that’s what Sehun thinks until whenever Jongin isn’t looking, Baekhyun would wink at him and point fingers.

Sehun usually doesn’t mind if this was any other day. But since he’s only counting hours until he reveals his feelings, the teasing only makes him more nervous. So he tries his best to avoid looking at Baekhyun’s general direction. 

The only problem is Sehun’s distraction comes in the form of Jongin, and he’s not exactly helping either when he intertwines their hands. 

|

|

|

“I missed you.”

That’s the first thing Jongin says when they sit next to each other by the beach. Sehun spends hours trying to muster his courage, but at the end of the day, Kyungsoo was right. Jongin did come around.

“I missed you. I missed us spending time on the beach at this late hour.”

“I missed you too, Jongin,” Sehun replies softly.

“So, what do you want to talk about?”

Jongin doesn’t beat around the bush, and Sehun knows that what he truly meant was, _what’s this thing you’re so hung up on hiding._ His self-doubt is slowly creeping at the back of his head, but Sehun remembers his father’s words.

 _If he’s worth it, go for it._ And Sehun truly thinks that Jongin is worth it. 

So he turns to face Jongin, and this time around, Sehun came prepared with a blanket to put underneath them, so they'll be having none of that sand sticking on their skin.

“I like you, Jongin. Like a lot,” Sehun blurts out.

Jongin’s eyes widen in surprise as he falls quiet. The lack of response is putting Sehun on edge, especially for someone who just confessed. His thoughts are coming up with worst-case scenarios. That he must’ve misread Jongin, and he happens to be a clingy person.

Before his mind goes on overdrive, Sehun feels warmth on his hand. Jongin takes Sehun’s clenched fists and slowly uncurls his fingers, relaxing them. Then with the same gentleness, he holds Sehun’s hand in his.

“I like you too, Sehun,” Jongin answers with a breathy voice, “I just never thought you’d be the first one to say it.”

“You idiot.”

“Excuse me?” Jongin scoffs. There’s playfulness in his voice.

“You made me think of the absolute worst!”

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to leave you hanging like that.”

“You know what,” Sehun huffs. Out of frustration, Sehun’s hand tugs on Jongin’s shirt roughly, pulling him a mere inch apart. “Just kiss me already.”

“Say no more.”

Not leaving room for hesitation, Jongin immediately leans in, and at the brush of his lips, Sehun's eyes flutter close. It starts soft, tentatively at first, as Jongin’s hand moves to cup Sehun’s jaw. As Jongin’s lips coax Sehun’s lips apart, he sighs when his tongue tangles with Jongin’s.

He’s doing wonders to Sehun’s lips as if with every tug and swipe of his tongue, Jongin’s mission is to make Sehun melt. As if realizing the little space they still have, Sehun’s hand rests on Jongin’s nape, pulling him closer by a firm tug of his hair, making Jongin groan.

Jongin was the one to pull away first but not with a last tug on Sehun’s bottom lip. Sehun’s eyes stay closed, savoring the feeling of their kiss, their foreheads touching.

“That was…” Jongin begins, trailing off.

“Yeah, it was…”

“Amazing,” Jongin laughs. They’re rambling and understandably so because Sehun thinks he should’ve kissed Jongin way earlier. Once Sehun opens his eyes, he sees the twinkling in Jongin’s eyes as what he can describe as happiness. 

He feels that same happiness too. Sehun is content with his feelings for Jongin. Sehun forgets their realities momentarily and how dire everything is within a few days. But in their comfortable silence, Jongin unintentionally reminds Sehun of it with his question.

“Was that your selfish thing?”

“Yeah, it is. That’s what I was keeping from you.”

“But that wasn't as damning as you make it out to be. I mean, I like you as much as you like me.”

And at this, Sehun sucks in a breath. This is what Sehun has been avoiding. Now that it's catching up to him, he needs to face it head-on. He’s worked up so much courage for confessing to Jongin, so albeit, he thinks he'll be just as all right for his big reveal.

“It is damning, but not in a way you think it is.”

Jongin gives him an incredulous look. Poor Jongin doesn’t even have the slightest hint of what Sehun is about to tell him.

Standing up from their laid out blanket, Sehun offers his hand for Jongin to take. There’s no uncertainty with the way Jongin takes Sehun’s hand, putting a smile on Sehun.

“What’s on your mind? Where are we going?”

“We’re going to take a quick swim in the ocean,” Sehun squeezes their intertwined hand in reassurance.

“That doesn’t make any sense. What does swimming have to do with you?”

“Do you trust me?” Sehun asks. In return, Jongin nods. “Then it’s all in due time, Jongin.” 

Sehun’s nerves are through the roof as he’s hyper-aware of his heartbeat beating rapidly. He knows that it might be a bad idea. Jongin might look at him differently after this. But he’s willing to take that risk.

At least, Sehun is being honest.

As their feet dip slowly into the cold water, Jongin suddenly stops, pulling Sehun’s hand to him. Turning to look at him, Sehun doesn’t expect to see worry settling in Jongin’s eyes. 

“How are you feeling? If you’re afraid, that’s totally fine,” Sehun reassures.

“You’re not going to try anything funny, right?”

“This isn’t a prank if that’s what you’re wondering.”

Underneath the moonlight, the sight of Jongin takes Sehun’s breath away. Lips pursing and the faint tint on his cheeks, Jongin looks stunning with the light shining on him in all the right places. 

“I can’t hold my breath for too long in the water,” Jongin adds.

“Don’t worry, you have me with you.”

“You’re not making sense again, Sehun. This is why I thought you’re pranking me.”

They begin going deeper into the ocean, the water reaching higher to their waists. As they take a few more steps, the surface grounding them is gone, and they’re floating freely.

Jongin mildly panics when he loses his grounding, but then he feels Sehun’s strong hands holding him, and Jongin subsequently calms down. He takes a deep breath as his eyes look at Sehun’s concerned ones.

In a final effort to comfort Jongin, Sehun’s arm wraps around Jongin’s waist as he pulls him so close that their chests collided. Then he starts kissing every part of Jongin’s face, from his eyes, nose, cheeks, and lastly, his lips. Seeing Jongin's shoulders loosening, Sehun smiles. 

“Do you still trust me?” 

“Honestly, I still do,” Jongin answers, his hand coming up to brush Sehun’s hair strands from his face.

“Good, because we’re going to sink into the water,” Sehun states.

“Will you hold me still?”

“I’ll never let you go.”

Jongin nods, even as his fear starts creeping back in. But seeing how careful and understanding Sehun has been with him so far, Jongin throws caution to the wind. Holding onto each other, they both submerge into the water.

Things get murky underwater in human eyes, they can only see darkness near and far, but in Sehun’s eyes, they’re not. As he adjusts to having water around him and inside him once again, when Sehun opens his eyes, the ocean is vibrant, always flaunting their beauty and always reminding him why he calls it home.

But his current priority is Jongin’s wellbeing, and the boy is not doing so well. His eyes are shut tight, his mouth puffing from holding air, and Sehun needs to take quick steps. Sehun takes a deep breath, preparing himself because things are going to change for better or worse. 

Focusing on his task, his hand caresses Jongin’s cheek as the water starts swirling on the back of his hand. A bubble of air slowly starts forming until it completely envelops Jongin’s head. He gives Jongin’s cheek a pat before he pulls back.

“Breath normally, Jongin. You’re fine now.”

Jongin shakes his head vigorously only to suddenly stop, his face now contorting into confusion. Sehun had just spoken to him in a clear voice, and that’s damn near impossible to do underwater.

“Wait, how can you speak...” Jongin asks before panicking again when he hears himself speak. 

His eyes shot open out of surprise, only to find himself even more shocked at this weird thing around him. As Jongin starts slipping into a panic, Sehun’s arms are still around Jongin’s waist, so when he flails his arm around, he accidentally smacks Sehun’s head.

“Look at me, Jongin.”

As Jongin’s gaze shifts to him, his shock can be seen from his glassy eyes and the flush draining from his face. Sehun starts doing timed breathing, imploring Jongin to follow him, and he does. As he holds Jongin close, they both inhale and exhale until Jongin’s rigid body eases down.

“What’s happening?” Jongin whispers.

“This is part of what I wanted to show you.” Sehun pulls away from their hug, but he makes sure to still hold Jongin in his arms. “If you’re feeling better already, I’d like to take us further into the ocean. Away from prying eyes.”

"I think I’m fine now," Jongin admits, as he looks around him. Noticing the bubble around his head, he tries to poke it. "There are no people in sight, Sehun."

"Still, it's better I tread on this carefully."

“I have so many questions.”

“I know, which is why we need to be further away. Please, Jongin.”

“Only because you said please,” Jongin responds, the confusion still there in his face. “And that I need questions answered.”

“Alright. Give me your hand.”

Jongin lets out a chuckle, giving his hand for Sehun to hold. After making sure Sehun has a firm grip on Jongin’s hand, he starts swimming at a slow pace. He picks up speed when he feels comfortable, causing Jongin to suddenly shout, “Holy shit!”

Sehun laughs as he swims further away from inland. He looks down and no longer sees the ground anymore, a good sign that they’re a mile away from dry land. He comes to a slow stop, holding Jongin reflexively so that he doesn’t drift away.

“That was a thrill. I liked that,” Jongin exclaims.

“I’m glad. You’re making this easier than I thought.”

“Oh, I’m still panicking over what you are,” Jongin waves his hand in dismissal. His voice then turns serious when he asks, “By the way, what are you?”

“It’s easier to show than tell.”

Taking Jongin’s silence as an answer, Sehun lets go of his grip as he swims away, creating a safe distance between them. Jongin is keeping himself together, floating well without Sehun’s support. 

Sehun takes a brief look at the pendant necklace before he takes it off, holding it in his right palm. With his arm extended, Sehun focuses on the pendant vibrating inside his palm as it gradually glows brighter. 

Sehun’s surroundings swirl furiously into a contained whirl around him, and as his palm steadily glows, it spreads across his entire body, forcing Jongin to cover his eyes. The contained whirlpool then comes to steadiness, and the blinding glow is dimming. 

Taking that as a probable good sign, Jongin opens his eyes and takes a peek at Sehun, but the sight in front of him knocks Jongin’s breath away.

There Sehun is, floating elegantly but the clothes he was just wearing disappear as the only garment he has is a robe with dark green accents. One of his shoulders is exposed with a gold belt holding everything together by his hips. 

But what Sehun is holding shocks Jongin the most. In his right hand, Sehun is holding a trident. A _fucking_ trident. 

Like Sehun is some sort of magical sea creature or a sea god, and that’s when it dawns on him. That maybe Sehun is a mythical creature, but Jongin stops himself before he goes on a spiral. 

_It couldn’t possibly be,_ Jongin thinks. 

The sight in front of him is just trickery. Jongin pinches his arm, trying to make a point that this could all be a dream. A hyper-realistic and imaginary one. But the jolt of pain shooting through him tells him otherwise.

“Please don’t be scared,” Sehun begs. His voice wavers slightly, and it tugs on Jongin’s heartstrings. “I’m real. This is all real. You’re not dreaming.”

Jongin softens at the distress in Sehun’s eyes. It clearly takes courage for Sehun to be honest and show himself like this. Sure, Sehun hasn’t been completely honest, but he’s still the same person Jongin has taken a deep liking to. 

Not that Jongin could imagine any suitable scenario for Sehun, to be honest about something as big as this.

“Who are you?” Jongin asks bravely.

“I’m still the same Sehun, but I’m not human,” Sehun answers, taking his time to ease the shocking reveal.

“Um, sorry. I meant, what are you?” 

“I’m the son of Poseidon, the god of the seas.”

“Holy fuck,” Jongin blurts but suddenly regrets it. “Sorry, I mean, holy mackerel?”

“Cursing is fine. We’re not exactly prudes,” Sehun smiles in amusement. He continues, “I should correct myself. I’m not the son. I have two other siblings.”

“Doesn’t change the fact that fucking Poseidon is your father!”

Jongin stops himself again, his hand covering his mouth, and Sehun laughs. He’s never heard anyone curse and say his father’s name in one sentence, so Jongin’s reactions are thoroughly entertaining.

“Yes, Jongin. Fucking Poseidon is my father.”

“Hold on, I need time to process this,” Jongin puts his hand up.

“Take your time,” Sehun answers, understanding as he inspects his trident. “If you have questions, ask away.”

As Sehun waits, he starts playing around with his trident. Despite training to master and wield a trident, Sehun finds it odd that they’ve never let him actually hold one. Maybe because of the power it holds, and that can fuel someone who’s already god to be reckless.

“Why are you telling me this now?” Jongin asks. Seems like he’s had enough time already.

“You asked what’s damning about confessing to liking you. All of this,” Sehun gestures to himself, then to both of them. “I’m literally a god falling in love with a mortal. That has so much risk, in and of itself.”

The corners of Jongin’s lips curl at the word love. He looks pleased, and Sehun is feeling bubbly from it.

“So why did you come to our town in the first place?”

“I was losing myself. I didn’t feel motivated to do my purpose and had wanted to experience something that would ignite that back. Father thought it’s a good idea to have our usual fieldwork where we observe human civilizations and their progress. He happens to have a house in your town, so here we are now.”

“Did you end up finding that, Sehun?”

“I did, because of you,” Sehun answers, turning shy when Jongin gives him a look of disbelief. “It’s true. I needed to learn something to understand myself better. I was the type to avoid problems instead of facing them, and I never did something because I wanted to. I always do something in favor of someone else. So when we made that deal, it was truly a turning point for me. For once, I finally did something for myself, and I’m facing this current problem.”

Jongin smiles as he swims closer to Sehun. His hand reaches up to comb through Sehun’s locks before resting at his nape.

“I see our parallels. My coming out story to yours. Our decision to be honest with ourselves and our loved ones. But just tell me something, Sehun. All of what you said and did, was any of that a lie?”

“None of that was a lie. I just never told you who I really am,” Sehun answers truthfully. 

“Then it doesn’t matter that you’re a god and I’m not. What matters is I like you for who you are.”

Sehun is relieved to hear that, especially when he has high hopes that maybe they might be okay for the little time they have. Their little time. _Shit,_ Sehun thinks, _I need to come clean about that too._

“There’s one more thing you should know. I hope that you’re not mad.”

“What’s there to be mad about?” Jongin massages Sehun’s nape tenderly.

“My time here is coming to an end. I’m leaving on Monday,” Sehun’s voice turns into a whisper. Jongin tenses up underneath his fingertips. “I don’t know if I can come back. I’m so sorry, Jongin.”

There’s a moment of silence as Jongin mull over what Sehun just said. His hand is no longer on Sehun’s nape as it slides down to link their fingers together. When Jongin speaks up again, his voice is coarse, as if he’s on the edge of breaking down.

“You’re telling me now that after Monday, I won’t be able to see you again?”

Jongin isn’t crying, but the weight that comes from how frail he sounds prompts a reaction inside of Sehun that he’s never felt before. This guttural feeling of protectiveness by any means possible, even if it means devoting his life to Jongin. But that’s not fair for Jongin.

His father’s words start echoing inside Sehun’s head again. Jongin’s mortality to Sehun’s immortality. No matter how much Sehun tries to deny it, they will always be separated by the end, either by choice or by death. Neither sounds better than the other.

“I have my responsibilities to go back to. It’s been such a memorable short time while it lasted. I’m sorry that we don’t have much time. I’m sorry that as much as I don’t want our differences to matter, it does matter.”

Jongin is neither answering nor looking at Sehun, and he’s not sure which one is more heartbreaking. Jongin pulls his hand away from Sehun, and in a surge of panic, Sehun reaches out, yearning for his touch.

“Jongin, please,” Sehun begs. 

The hitch in Sehun’s pleas doesn’t sound like him anymore, but he doesn’t care. He needs to know, he needs to see, _feel_ Jongin. 

“Just talk to me. Tell me off. Curse me for even meeting you in the first place. Do whatever it is but just show me what you’re feeling.”

“I can’t curse you,” Jongin mumbles. “I don’t have any regrets ever meeting you.”

Sehun sighs in relief. His hand hesitantly comes up to Jongin’s chin, and when he sees the latter not reacting, Sehun tilts his chin up, so they’re looking at each other.

“Neither do I. You’re the best thing that ever happened in my entire existence,” Sehun says slowly, making sure that Jongin understands the severity of his words. 

There’s a shining gleam in Jongin’s eyes, and Sehun knows it’s not from their surrounding water. A tear escapes from his eyes as Jongin tries hiding it with a laugh. He continues crying in Sehun's embrace until Jongin’s attention diverts to the tears pooling at the bubble around him.

Even when he cries, his amusement always gets the best of him. And since all Sehun can do is be there to comfort him, Sehun leans in, peppering kisses to the trail the tears left behind.

“Can you do me one favor, Sehun?” 

“Anything.”

“Let’s not count the days while we make the best of it,” Jongin states with a trembling voice.

And so Sehun doesn’t mention any of it as they resurface. Not when he’s taking them both back to dry land. 

It haunts him in the back of his mind but deep down inside, Sehun knows he needs it too. For once, he doesn’t want to know the impending pain of their reality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you enjoyed that! your comments are greatly appreciated, they truly make my day ;w;  
> i know it's been a long time since i last posted >< a quick explanation: i got overwhelmed by my major's workload, so i stopped writing to focus on that but now I've graduated and I'm still looking to get employed. i always knew I'll write again and since sekai had only been giving crumbs (i miss them) and jongin made his debut on the 30th (stream mmmh and kai's mini album btw), i thought it's the perfect time to post this.  
> I'll post the second chapter in a few days, i've finished most of it already! and an update if you're asking about sorcerers, charms, and love: for now, I need to outline the entire plot. It will take a while but I'll get back to it uwu
> 
> if you'd like to support me monetarily, i have a ko-fi by the same username (/kaise). anything is greatly appreciated! if you just wanna say hi, my twitter is sekai94z. I don't talk about my fics there tbh I'm shy but i should probably do that lol


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